The north end of US 71 has always been in International
Falls MN. In 1930, US 169 was also routed into I-Falls, but four years
later the segment of US 169 from Virginia to I-Falls was renumbered as part
of US 53. Ever since then, the north end of US 71 occurs while co-signed with
US 53; you can view photos from I-Falls on this
page.

Originally the south end of US 71 was at Port
Allen LA. About 15 years later, the designation was extended across the
Mississippi River to Baton
Rouge. You can view photos from both places on this
page.

In 1951, the south end of US 71 was truncated to its junction with US 190,
about three miles west of Krotz Springs. The exact location of the endpoint changed slightly in 1965, when modern US 190 was opened to traffic (this runs just to the north of the original US 190). This first shot shows the signage approaching
the end of US 71:

Nitzman, Oct. 2003 (gone by 2013)

I wonder why they spelled out the highways, instead of using shields? But it's a moot point, because that's completely gone now. There's no signage of any kind at the junction with US 190 now, so hopefully everyone knows where they're going:

Karner,
Jun. 2013

That shows the trumpet interchange where US 71 ends. Westbound US 190 veers right here; if you want eastbound US 190 you continue under the bridge, and then the road curves to the left. About halfway through that curve, there's a road leading off to the right...

Karner,
Jun. 2013

...and if you look that direction, you see this:

Google Maps Street View,
Apr. 2011

That's the historic south end of US 71, at "Old 190" (as the little green street sign refers to it). Until 1951, US 71
used to continue to the east (left) with US 190, through Krotz Springs and on to Baton Rouge. Today that direction is closed to traffic, but you can drive to the right for a little ways.

The shot below is looking east on US 190
at the modern south beginning of US 71:

Nitzman,
Nov. 2003 (unchanged as of 2013)

That exit takes you around the loop we saw above, back towards the camera, past the old terminus, and under US 190. On the far side of the underpass, after traffic coming from westbound US 190 merges, one encounters the first northbound marker: